Multiple unit furniture



April 27, 1948. P. H. JAMES MULTIPLE 1mm FURNITURE Filed July 51, 1945 [MN m, 8mm? (/A/VES, W 4'. m

Patented Apr. 27, 1948 UNITED star-Es PATENT orries 12,440,544 MULTIPLE UNIT FURNITURE H. James, Indianapolis, Ind.

. Application Ju'ly73l, 1945,.Serial'No. 607,931

like. Furthermore, the invention relates "to that type 'of store furniture or counters wherein a plurality of 'preformedunits are-made-up-and assembled in thestore in varying'a'rrangement.

The invention consists primarily in the manner of uniting the several sections 'one 'to the other to .form a unitary 'counter'or cabinet an without the necessity of using standards and pilasters whereby not only an exceedingly attractive appearance is gained-but also aiinateria'l reduction in cost of assembly is achieved. v

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the followingdescripti'on of .one particular form :of :the invention as '"illus- 'trated in the accompanying "drawing, in which $1 isa view in front elevationand partial section of a structure embodying the invention:

Fig. '2, a transverse horizontal section on the line .2--2'in;Fig. 1;

Fig, 3, a detail on an enlarged scale in "transverse horizontal section through the juncture of one section with another;

Fig. 4, a vertical section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, an end elevation of a clamp empleyed in uniting two sections; and

Fig. 6, an opposite end elevation- 'of the clamp mechanism.

Like-characters of referen'ces indicate like'parts in the several views in the drawing.

Sections 'or shells are preformed and-are'preierably made of any suitable material which may be formed to have curved ends, such as ply wood, the many synthetic resins or plastic, metal, or even composition fibers bonded with resins and the like. The standard shells will usually be made up in two general forms, namely, L-shapes and U-shapes.

Referring to the drawing, two L-shells H! and II are employed plus one U-shell i2. These shells in either form will be open from both top and bottom, and therefore comprise vertical walls only. Referring to the shell II], as shown in Fig. 2, there is an end wall 4| and a side or front wall 42. The end wall 4| joins integrally by a bend l3 with the wall 42. 'I'nen the free end of the wall 42, that is, the vertical edge thereof, has an inwardly bent end 14 which is about half the circumferential length of the bend IS. The next adjacent shell I I, Fig. 2, is identical in shape 5 Glaims. (Cl. 312-407) and size in the present showing as the first 'described shell ll]. The front wall F5 of the shell -H may havea greater or less length *thanthe wall 42in the shell 10, but preferably the end wall i6 is of the same length as the wall-*4! to facilitate assembly into one unitary counter.

The U -shaped shell 1 2 has a front wall H from one end of which there is -a bend l 8 merging irito the outer'en'd- 'wall =P5, from the rear edge of which there is preferablycurvedaround inwardly a bend 20. From the other end of *the frontwall 11 extends a bend '21 merging into the inner end wall 2 2. This shell I 2 likewise has its vertical height "and all of its walls correspond to the heights of the shells l 0 and H In the present showing, the base 23 is employed "over "which is placed a floor "2'4. Preferably the floor '24 is formed in sections to fit within the lower ends 'of each of the shells 10, H, "and 1'2. The shell "I2 is placed over the 'floor -24 and secured thereto "in any suitable manner such asby-gluing. Then the next-adjacent sh'ell ii is brought up to have the end bend 2-5 of its irontwall 'I 5 abut the bend 21 ofthe shell ii. to have thefaces-of the walls Wand i in-the same vertical plane. Then the next ad-jacent shell it is brought up to have its end bend -l-4 abut thebend 26 of the shell 11 and to *havethe face of its frontwall 42 inthe 'plane of the faces of the walls '15 and H. These "shell sections are secured 'oneto the other by an ingenious -dev'ice which'formsthe subject matter of another ap- 'plication for United States Letters Patent being filed simultaneously herewith.

'Thissecuring mechanism consists primarily of a clamping "device 'interengaging members o'f two adjacent shells at the abutments of the curved members thereof. To the inner-face of the 'bend 25, for example, is secured one or more vertical cleats 21, herein shown as two spaced cleats. These cleats 2! are united to the shell in any suitable manner, such as by adhesives. The cleat 21 in each instance is provided with a bore 28 therethrough approximately parallel to the face of the cleat in contact with the shell bend 25. The bend 2! against which the end of the bend 25 abuts is provided with a hole 29 formed therethrough to register with the bore 28 of the cleat 21.

A quick engaging clamp is formed to consist essentially of a pair of straps 30 and 3| between corresponding ends of which is pivoted a cam member 32 by means of a pin 33; and a crossbar 34 rockably carried between the opposite ends of the straps 30 and 3|. In use, the cam32 is rocked to its release position by pulling the operating lever 35 around to the dash line position, Fig. 4, and the crossbar 34 is rocked to be parallel with the straps 30 and 3|; and then this assembly is inserted through a plane washer 3B, the hole 29, the bore 28, and a washer 31; whereupon the crossbar 34 is rocked to its transversely extending position, Fig. 4, and then the lever 35 rocked from the dash line position to the full line position to place the straps 30 and 3| under tension tocompressibly engage the cleat 2] against the outer face of the bend 2| by the clamping action thereby exerted. This manner of interconnecting the two adjacent shells (any desired number of these clamps may be used throughout the vertical height of the shells, two being shown in Fig. 1) is but one of many conceivable methods of rigidly interconnecting the shells one to the other at the abutments thereof, wood screws for example, being one such other method (not shown) The use of the clamps however gives a very quick and low cost method of assembly since the assembler does not have to crawl inside of the respective shells to enter screws and draw them up tightly for the proper securing of the shells one to the other.

The external appearance ofthe finished unit is quite striking by reason of the regular appearance along the counter and the V-grooves formed in effect at the junctures between shells. The counter is finished in the usual manner by putting a top 38 thereover, which may be secured to the shells in any suitable manner, such as by using the clamp mechanisms herein described.

It is to be observed that the complete unit may be assembled in any desired length and even angular shapes by abutting one shell against another to have the free edge of one wall abut the bend of the neXt adjacent one. Any slight variations in the straightness of the edges or bends in the vertical direction are not visible by reason of their being back within the groove appearing from the outside. Furthermore, the one shell tends to brace the next shell in a structural sense. Shelving, if desired, may be placed within each shell in the usual manner, or the space may be left open for full height storage as desired.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one form as now best known to me, it is obvious that structural changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an article of furniture, a pair of shell sections, each having a front and an end wall, and a curved portion interconnecting those walls; the end of one of said front walls opposite said 4 end wall having a rearwardly curved portion, the edge of which abuts said curved portion of the other shell; and means interconnecting said shells at said abutment; the radius of curvature of both of said curved portions being substantially the same; and said abutting curved portion hav ing substantially half the circumferential length as that of the abutted curved portion and abusing that curved portion at substantially midway of its length.

2. In an article of furniture, a pair of shell sections, each having a front and an end wall,

and a curved portion interconnecting those walls;

the end of one of said front walls opposite said end wall having a rearwardly curved portion, the edge of which abuts said curved portion of the other shell; and means interconnecting said shells at said abutment; said interconnecting means comprising a cleat secured on the rear side of said rearwardly curved portion, and fastening means extending through said interconnecting curved portion engaging said cleat.

3. An article of furniture comprising a plurality of shells, L- and U-shaped, with curved end corner portions, wherein an inwardly curving end of a leg of one shell abuts by an edge the face of a rearwardly curving corner portion of a second shell to form a V-like groove therebetween.

4. An article of furniture comprising a plurality of shells, L- and U-shaped, with curved end cornerportions, wherein an inwardly curving end of a leg of one shell abuts by an edge the face of a rearwardly curving corner portion of a second shell to form a V-like groove therebetween; and means uniting adjoining shells back of said abutment to maintain that abutment under compression.

5. An article of furniture comprising a plurality of shells, L- and U-shaped, with curved end corner portions, wherein an inwardly curving end of a leg of one shell abuts by an edge the face of a rearwardly curving corner portion of a second shell to form a V-like groove therebetween; and cam clamp means for compressibly maintaining said abutment.

PARKER H. JAMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,272,492 Meyercord July 16,1918 1,729,268 Henderson Sept. 24, 1929 

